Wednesday’s march was led by actress Aïssa Maïga (“Bamako”) who, along with the group, stood together and promoted Maiga’s co-authored book Noire N’est Pas Mon Métier (My Profession is Not Black), a compilation of candid stories about the prejudice faced by black actresses in the French film industry.

The actress spoke with Variety on the red carpet and called it a “historic moment.”

“It was beyond my wildest dreams,” she said. “For 20 years, I’ve been acting and I’ve never felt like this.”